March 24, 1739 Earthquake: Santa Catalina, Peru
An earthquake struck Santa Catalina, Peru on March 24, 1739.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- March 24, 1739
- Place
- Santa Catalina, Peru
- Intensity
- VII, very strong shaking, on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 14.100° S, 73.200° W
- Country
- Peru
- Region
- South America
The toll
- Deaths
- Many (about 101 to 1,000)
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
1739. In that year there was an earthquake which ruined the village of Santa Catalina, in the province of Aymaraes, department of Apurimac. Many of its inhabitants perished. (reference #1111)
Sources NCEI cites
The publications NCEI lists for this record. The numbers match the “reference #” notes in its account above.
- #1208 Askew, B.L., and S.T. Algermissen (1985). Catalog of Earthquakes for South America, Hypocenter and Intensity Data, vol. 7A - Peru, Centro Regional de Sismologia para America del Sur, Lima, Peru.
- #1111 Silgado F., Enrique (1973). Historia de los sismos mas notables ocurridos en el Peru (1513-1970), Geofisica Panamericana, vol. 2, no. 1, January 1973, p. 179-243. [English translation.]
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- September 17, 1707, Cuzco, Peru
- November 4, 1913, Amyaraes, Abancay, Casaya, Soraya, Peru
- May 21, 1950, Cusco, Peru
- January 31, 1943, Yanacoa, Pampamarca, Peru
- January 13, 1960, Arequipa,chuquibamba,caraveli,cotahuasi, Peru
- December 2, 1914, Pararca,paysa,colta,oyala, Peru
- April 5, 1986, Cuzco, Peru
- June 22, 1981, Central, Peru
- September 28, 2014, Paruro Province, Peru
- April 18, 1981, Ayacucho, Peru
- December 24, 1959, Ayacucho,pomabamba,moyobamba,huahuapuquio, Peru
- November 12, 1980, S Central, Peru
- October 15, 1971, Apurimac, Peru
- August 9, 2001, Antabama, Peru
- April 13, 1861, Peru
More
Significant earthquakes of 1739The 1700sRecent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-10-01. NCEI earthquake 1273.